The following income will not be considered when determining gross yearly income for the purpose of establishing LIHEAP eligibility:
55 Pa. Code § 601.84; LIHEAP State Plan § 601.84
(1) Educational assistance from scholarships, grants and loans to a student unless it is solely for basic living needs such as housing and food. Also excluded is income from other sources used to pay out-of-pocket expenses for books and other required educational fees.
(2) All student financial assistance received from a program funded in whole or in part under Title IV of the Higher Education Assistance Act Amendments of 1992 (P.L. 102-325), under the Bureau of Indian Affairs student assistance programs, or from a work study program.
(3) Payments for services or out-of-pocket expenses to volunteers serving as foster grandparents, senior health aides or senior companions, and to persons serving in other programs under Title II of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C.A. §§5001-5024).
(4) Payments, including stipends, to volunteers for VISTA, Service Learning Programs and Volunteer Programs under Title I of the Domestic Volunteer Service Act of 1973 (42 U.S.C.A. §§4951-4994).
(5) Benefits received by a participant in the SNAP program.
(6) The value of donated foods -- surplus commodities -- from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
(7) The value of home produce of clients for household consumption.
(8) Money received under the Senior Citizen Rebate and Assistance Act (72 P.S. §§4751-1 through 4751-12).
(9) Money received as incentive or training-related expenses provided to people involved in a work/training program sponsored by a federal, state or local government agency. (This does not include income received under Section 509 of Title V’s Older Americans Act, which would be counted as earned income.)
(10) Medicare premiums deducted from Social Security, Railroad Retirement, and other benefit payments.
NOTE: The CAO will enter the gross income in eCIS and will enter the Medicare premium as a medical expense. The CAO will not enter the premium as a medical expense if DHS pays it under the buy-in program.
(11) Amounts received as reimbursement for medical costs, medical transportation and special allowance items as defined in Cash Assistance Handbook Chapter 138 (relating to allowances and benefits).
(12) Cash or in-kind assistance with heating costs provided by private or public agencies or utility companies.
(13) Loans which can be verified with a statement from the lender or a loan document specifying the repayment plan.
(14) The portion of a Social Security lump sum death benefit designated for funeral expenses.
(15) For actual child support received, whether court-ordered support or voluntary support from a legally responsible relative, up to the first $100 will be excluded in determining household income if there is one child under age 18 in the household. If there are two or more children in the household, up to $200 will be excluded. Also, up to the first $50 of actual spousal support received in a given month will be excluded. If a household receives both child support and spousal support, only the amount which is the greatest will be excluded for that month; the household will not receive both a child support and spousal support deduction in the same month. All support refunded by DHS during the month is excluded.
(16) Agent Orange Settlement payments.
(17) Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC), including anticipated monthly payments as well as year-end payments.
(18) Income tax refunds.
(19) Restitution payments made to individuals because of their status as victims of Nazi persecution.
(20) Non-recurring lump-sum payments, including TANF one-time issuance (OTI) payments.
(21) Wage earnings of a dependent child under age18.
NOTE: If the child turns 18 at any point during the look back month their income remains excluded.
(22) Utility allowances for residents of subsidized and public housing, unless the household receives the payment directly from the landlord or public housing authority to cover utility bills. If the utility allowance is paid directly to the household, the amount of the payment is counted as unearned income in the month during which it is received.
(23) Money paid by an approved child-placement agency to the client for providing foster care or kinship care for a child if the money is received through Title IV-E of the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 (P.L. 96-272). Money received through Article VII of the Public Welfare code (62 P.S. Sections 701 - 774) also is not counted.
(24) Earned income from temporary census employment.
(25) Unemployment benefit reduction of 2.4% deducted from Unemployment Compensation payments.
(26) Expenses incurred to received unearned income. These expenses include, but are not limited to, the following:
LIHEAP State Plan § 601.84 (23)
Attorney fees
Court costs
Transportation costs
The amount paid to a rental agency to handle a rental property
Court-ordered fees paid to a guardian who controls the person's income
NOTE: The CAO must subtract expenses prior to determining the unearned income used for the gross income test.
Reissued March 8,2018, replacing March 5,2018